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Project History (plus feedback!) features updated. Members are invited to use it!
Thread poster: Henry Dotterer
Dinny
Dinny  Identity Verified
Greece
Local time: 17:20
Italian to Danish
+ ...
Thank you, Colin Jan 4, 2006

I have now resubmitted a couple of the pending projects (adding name of project manager + project number) and it seems to be working fine, first request was answered immediately by the project manager. Thank you very much, now I am happy with the PH again!

 
Vito Smolej
Vito Smolej
Germany
Local time: 16:20
Member (2004)
English to Slovenian
+ ...
SITE LOCALIZER
Suggestion: include private comments in the project summary Jan 12, 2006

suggestion for the project history manager: include private comments in the project summary

Why? Showing keywords, public AND private comments makes the project summary complete. In my case, I keep the customer names in the private comment; the result is that, when I list the projects, I do not see, who's what - in the current case, who has not yet reacted to my request.

TiA

smo


 
Amanda Grey
Amanda Grey  Identity Verified
France
Local time: 16:20
French to English
PH and personal organisation Jan 17, 2006

I have just posted several "select" projects and in general like this feature and the way it shows potential clients that you are at least serious about your profession, if not totally "verifiable" in all your claims.

I think, like anything in moderation, it is a useful feature. Let's not treat our clients like dummies - they are perfectly capable of using their discretion when choosing a translator, going sometimes as far as asking for references and contacting them directly.
... See more
I have just posted several "select" projects and in general like this feature and the way it shows potential clients that you are at least serious about your profession, if not totally "verifiable" in all your claims.

I think, like anything in moderation, it is a useful feature. Let's not treat our clients like dummies - they are perfectly capable of using their discretion when choosing a translator, going sometimes as far as asking for references and contacting them directly.

As for using the feature for organisational purposes, Henry asked if a similar web-based function would be interesting. Personally, I use Translation Office 3000, which in the last 2 years, has proved cheap and highly effective. Leave the project management software to the software experts. I am loathe to see ProZ trying to diversify too much and lose its original, core function - putting translators in touch with clients and other translators.

Keep up the good work!
Amanda
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Beta Cummins
Beta Cummins
United States
Local time: 11:20
Member (2005)
English to Portuguese
+ ...
Outsourcer not notified Jan 18, 2006

Dear Henry,

Before anything else, CONGRATULATIONS! ProZ and all its features, programming and feedback from the staff are awesome. I am very, "merry" satisfied.

Now, I have submitted a project and entered my outsourcer's IP and e-mail address. However, he has not been notified about the pending feedback. What now?

Thank you,
Beta Cummins


 
Colin Brady
Colin Brady  Identity Verified
Argentina
Local time: 12:20
French to English
+ ...
Corroboration Jan 20, 2006

Beta Cummins wrote:
Now, I have submitted a project and entered my outsourcer's IP and e-mail address. However, he has not been notified about the pending feedback. What now?


Hi Beta,

It doesn't look like a notification was sent to your client. Perhaps they hadn't entered an email address when you submitted the project for review. In any event, they should be able to leave you feedback at their Outsourcer Control Center (they must be logged in):

http://www.proz.com/?sp=jobs&sp_mode=occ

Best Regards,
Colin


 
Vito Smolej
Vito Smolej
Germany
Local time: 16:20
Member (2004)
English to Slovenian
+ ...
SITE LOCALIZER
Asked already three times.... Jan 22, 2006

... and no response(!?)

Now, the client has been on best terms with me since two years, so I am afraid the requests for feedback just do not get through (get the spam treatment or a general "have read that folder" tick-off).

Is there a way to send personal Email with some URL included in it, so that I can see, what happens to the post?

TiA

Vito


 
Anmol
Anmol
Local time: 20:50
PH should be client-centric and not project-centric Jan 22, 2006

Henry wrote:

Thanks for your thoughts, Larissa!
Larissa Dinsley wrote:


3) I have a number of customers, mainly direct clients, who are not members of ProZ and have never heard about the site. They are busy people with busy schedules and I definitely would not want to bother them and to ask them to make an extra effort and post some feedback for me.

We have tried to make the process as convenient as possible for outsourcers. For example, an outsourcer can simply click a link in the email sent to him/her to begin the process, without registering at ProZ.com. Then, s/he fills out a brief form, no more than a minute. We'll revisit the email sent and add to it some text, and maybe discuss that text here, in order to communicate the purpose of this feedback, and how it benefits not only you but also the outsourcer asked to give feedback.


I'm not sure that simplifying the process for outsourcers has addressed the problem of the need for repeated corroboration of projects by repeat clients.

If a translator has a select number of repeat clients, but still wishes to market his/her services, the PH feature can pose significant shortcomings if directory listings are sorted on the basis of the number of corroborated projects alone:

a) The translator cannot ask repeat clients to constantly provide feedback for each new project completed.

b) The total number of clients in the project history may appear to be very small to potential outsourcers.

I have the following suggestions:

i) The PH feature should have more of a client-centric approach rather than a project-centric approach. Projects entered should be attached to an outsourcer. A translator can continue to update the PH with newer projects, of course. But corroboration should be required only once by an outsourcer. The overall "rating" for a translator would be drawn from the cumulative feedback provided by outsourcers and not the number of projects.

ii) An outsourcer should be free to update their feedback for the translator, eliminating the need for repeated corroboration. Any outsourcer could send out a message to other outsourcers asking for feedback for a particular translator.

If this sounds somewhat like a Translator's Blue Board, the question must be asked why outsourcers cannot have a tool to separate the chaff from the grain when freelancers have one at their disposal.



[Edited at 2006-01-28 08:05]


 
Walter Landesman
Walter Landesman  Identity Verified
Uruguay
Local time: 12:20
English to Spanish
+ ...
Unable to receive feddback Feb 1, 2006

Hi,
One of my projects is still waitng for outsourcer feedback. First she said she hadn`t receive any mail from Proz. Then, after I checked that, you sent her the link, but here is what she says now:
"Hello Walter:
Unfortunately, when I click on to the link for positive feedback, I get the message below.
Best wishes,
? PROFILE
PROJECT HISTORY (6)
You are not authorized to submit feedback for this project.

......
"

... See more
Hi,
One of my projects is still waitng for outsourcer feedback. First she said she hadn`t receive any mail from Proz. Then, after I checked that, you sent her the link, but here is what she says now:
"Hello Walter:
Unfortunately, when I click on to the link for positive feedback, I get the message below.
Best wishes,
? PROFILE
PROJECT HISTORY (6)
You are not authorized to submit feedback for this project.

......
"


Something wrong with the link?
On my Project History you have all the information about this outsourcer. Can you help her, please?
Thanx

Walter
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Colin Brady
Colin Brady  Identity Verified
Argentina
Local time: 12:20
French to English
+ ...
PH Feedback Feb 2, 2006

Walter Landesman wrote:
Hi,
One of my projects is still waitng for outsourcer feedback. First she said she hadn`t receive any mail from Proz. Then, after I checked that, you sent her the link, but here is what she says now:
"Hello Walter:
Unfortunately, when I click on to the link for positive feedback, I get the message below.
Best wishes,
? PROFILE
PROJECT HISTORY (6)
You are not authorized to submit feedback for this project.
......
"


Hi Walter,

It is important that your client follow the precise link given in the email. I know that there have been a few cases where outsourcers have copied only part of the URL given in the email notification.

Walter, I will contact you via email as well.

Best Regards,
Colin


 
Walter Landesman
Walter Landesman  Identity Verified
Uruguay
Local time: 12:20
English to Spanish
+ ...
Thanks Colin Feb 3, 2006

OK Colin,
She received your email with explanations.
Thanks a lot.

Walter


 
Kevin Lossner
Kevin Lossner  Identity Verified
Portugal
Local time: 15:20
German to English
+ ...
A useful marketing tool Feb 11, 2006

Several years ago the translationzone.com site included a project history feature. I used it to describe projects I especially enjoyed or ones with technical aspects that I wanted to emphasize. This proved to be the most useful part of my profile on that site, and listing projects of the kind I really enjoyed doing seemed to draw more of the same. Unfortunately, this feature was removed during a remake of the translator profiles, and the contacts I have received via that site have been generally... See more
Several years ago the translationzone.com site included a project history feature. I used it to describe projects I especially enjoyed or ones with technical aspects that I wanted to emphasize. This proved to be the most useful part of my profile on that site, and listing projects of the kind I really enjoyed doing seemed to draw more of the same. Unfortunately, this feature was removed during a remake of the translator profiles, and the contacts I have received via that site have been generally less interesting. I haven't thought much about the feedback issues, potential for abuse, etc., but in principle I welcome the new feature, because this sort of thing has proven very effective in the past at shifting the stream of work into a channel I find more satisfying. My initial attempts to use this feature have been rather clumsy, and I can see several points worthy of improvement, but I do thank Henry for adding what I believe will be a useful tool for professional services marketing once the bugs are shaken out.Collapse


 
Jaroslaw Michalak
Jaroslaw Michalak  Identity Verified
Poland
Local time: 16:20
Member (2004)
English to Polish
SITE LOCALIZER
Idea for improvement Feb 14, 2006

For me the biggest problem with PH feature is forwarding the corroboration links. It might happen that the address provided, if provided at all, might be long outdated, belong to person who does not know me or the PH feature, or it might a general company inbox - if the agency is quite large the mail might get overlooked, not submitted to the right person or even trashed with spam.

I think that it would be quite useful if the info on the corroboration request, along with the appropr
... See more
For me the biggest problem with PH feature is forwarding the corroboration links. It might happen that the address provided, if provided at all, might be long outdated, belong to person who does not know me or the PH feature, or it might a general company inbox - if the agency is quite large the mail might get overlooked, not submitted to the right person or even trashed with spam.

I think that it would be quite useful if the info on the corroboration request, along with the appropriate links, was generated on the outsourcer profile page (in the owner's view, naturally). Then it would be enough to tell my project manager "Go check your ProZ outsourcer page" instead of "Go hunt that mail that presumably arrived some time ago, but I don't know the address either".

If this is already so, just tell me, so that I can inform my outsourcers. If not, this would certainly be handy...
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Ivana UK
Ivana UK  Identity Verified
United Kingdom
Local time: 15:20
Member (2005)
Italian to English
+ ...
Good point ... Feb 15, 2006

Giovanni Guarnieri MITI, MIL wrote:

3) The system is clearly open to abuse and there is no way of controlling this.



my thoughts exactly. I am still waiting from a response to an email I sent Henry(proz)last week regarding this very point ...


 
Rebekka Groß (X)
Rebekka Groß (X)  Identity Verified
Local time: 15:20
English to German
my thoughts on the PH and a suggestion for the "Volume" section Feb 24, 2006

Hi Everyone,

I'm a bit late coming to this discussion but I have finally started to add some of the projects I was involved in over the past 12-15 months to the PH. I like the feature and once you make it a habit of entering each project upon completion, it shouldn't be too time consuming an exercise. The PH helps me keep track of the projects I've done and enables me to keep my CV up to date as I enter new projects into the PH and CV at the same time. In the past, I'd update my CV
... See more
Hi Everyone,

I'm a bit late coming to this discussion but I have finally started to add some of the projects I was involved in over the past 12-15 months to the PH. I like the feature and once you make it a habit of entering each project upon completion, it shouldn't be too time consuming an exercise. The PH helps me keep track of the projects I've done and enables me to keep my CV up to date as I enter new projects into the PH and CV at the same time. In the past, I'd update my CV and the project list on my profile only every few months making it necessary to trawl through POs and invoices, opening project folders on my PC etc. in a time consuming attempt to add recent projects to it. Now that my CV is bang up-to-date sending applications to new clients takes hardly any effort at all. Instead, I can spend more time composing and personalising the introductory e-mail.

Somebody mentioned confidentiality of the projects and I agree this could be an issue. When I contacted one of the translation agencies I work for to see if they'd corroborate my involvement in a number of projects, I listed the projects I was referring to and was told they didn't feel comfortable with me naming the actual product and asked that I describe it instead. I found that was an acceptable compromise and am going to deal with all my projects in that manner from now on.

Now for my suggestion: When entering the volume translated in words, the current options do not take the use of CAT tools into account and it bothers me a bit that I can't distinguish between new words, reps and fuzzies. At present, I feel that I am slightly misrepresenting the volume because I can only report the total number of words.

Would it be possible to expand the Volume section in such a way that upon selection of the "words" option further fields are displayed detailing "new words", "fuzzies", "reps", "100% matches"? I suppose there are endless variations, such as distinguishing between "high matches" and "low matches" with regards to the fuzzies, but perhaps sticking to the above mentioned 4 main categories would be sufficient.

Regards,

Rebekka

P. S. It would also be great to be able to report which CAT tool was used and not just "SDL Trados" but the specific component, e. g. Tag Editor.

[Edited at 2006-02-24 18:48]
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Bonita Mc Donald
Bonita Mc Donald
Local time: 09:20
Spanish to English
+ ...
Project History feature not working Feb 24, 2006

Hi, there. I finally got around to filling out my Project History tab today, but unfortunately I haven't been able to get it to accept my submission. I hit the Submit button and then I get a blank screen and when I check my profile it says "No Project History found". Is it a bug? Am I doing something wrong?

 
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Project History (plus feedback!) features updated. Members are invited to use it!






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